17 Things You Didn't Know About Wade Barrett

By Jack Morrell /

8. He Was Named For An England Rugby Union Legend

When he was discussing taking on a new character with €˜the American Dream€™ Dusty Rhodes, having decided that the name €˜Laurence Knight€™ wasn€™t cutting it, Bennett told him that he thought the name €˜Wade€™ was perfect for him. It€™s a popular name in the US, but practically unheard of in the UK€ and it€™s also the name of a rugby union icon, one Wade Dooley. A former England international, Dooley played for his country over fifty times, and had an uncompromising reputation on the pitch, having broken the cheekbone of an opposing player in a particularly rough game in Wales in 1987. More importantly to Bennett, the man was nicknamed €˜the Blackpool Tower€™ due to coming from Blackpool in the north of England, and being six foot eight inches tall - only a couple of inches taller than Bennett himself, who hailed from Preston, not far from Blackpool. Dusty liked the name, and added the surname €˜Garrett€™... however, when Bennett got home and googled his new name to be sure it had no untoward connotations, he found that €˜Wade Garrett€™ was the name of the Sam Elliott character in the eighties classic action flick Roadhouse€ which was a little too on the nose for him.